Metamorphic Rocks How a little bit of heat & pressure transform rocks! What is a metamorphic rock? The term "metamorphic" means "to change form." Any rock (igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic) can become a metamorphic rock. If rocks are buried deep in the Earth at high temperatures and pressures, they form new minerals and textures all without melting. If melting occurs, magma is formed, starting the rock cycle all over again. To change form Other rocks are exposed to high heat & pressure Metamorphic Rock Types There are two types of metamorphic rocks. Each is classified according to its composition and texture. – Foliated – Nonfoliated. To change form Foliated Other rocks are exposed to high heat & pressure Non-Foliated Foliated Metamorphic Rocks FOLIATED metamorphic rocks are those in which the minerals have been flattened and pushed down into parallel layers. The bands in foliated metamorphic rock look like pages in a book. Examples of foliated rocks are slate, shale, and gneiss. To change form Other rocks are exposed to high heat & pressure Foliated Non-Foliated Flattened & pushed into parallel layers slate gneiss shale Non-foliated NON-FOLIATED metamorphic rocks do not display layers. Rather, they are massive structures with no obvious banding. The mineral grains grow and rearrange, but they don’t form layers. A good example of non-foliated rock is quartzite, the smooth-textured, metamorphosed form of the mineral quartz. A coarse-textured non-foliated rock is marble. Anthracite, or hard coal, is a nonfoliated rock that forms when intense pressure drives gases out of soft coal, causing it to harden. To change form Other rocks are exposed to high heat & pressure Foliated Non-Foliated layers Anthracite coal Flattened & pushed into parallel layers Quartzite slate gneiss shale marble